The Los Angeles Post

As BA.5 Fuels Increase in COVID Metrics, Residents in Areas of High Poverty Hospitalized at a Faster Rate

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4,327 New Positive Cases and 12 New Deaths Due to COVID-19 in Los Angeles County

The highly infectious BA.5 subvariant is fueling the rapid spread of COVID, leading to increases in Los Angeles County cases, hospitalizations and deaths, with residents in areas of high poverty being hospitalized at a higher rate. In LA County, the Omicron variant continues to account for 100% of the county’s sequenced specimens, with BA.5 dominating, representing 48% of all sequenced specimens.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also estimates that, across the country, as of the week ending July 9, the BA.5 subvariants of Omicron accounted for nearly 70% of specimens, a considerable increase from the 40% just two weeks prior. In both the national data and LA County data, BA.5 continues to outcompete the BA.2 subvariant and its sublineages and is increasing at a faster rate than the BA.4 subvariant.

With the highly infectious BA.5 subvariant increasing in LA County, the number of daily new cases continues to rise. Over the last seven days, the average number of daily new cases reported was 6,742, a 24% increase from two weeks ago when the average number of daily new cases reported was 5,425. Additionally, the test positivity rate has now increased to 16.5%.

After weeks of high case numbers fueled by this highly infectious COVID strain, the number of people severely ill and needing to be hospitalized is also increasing. Over the last seven days, the average number of COVID-positive patients per day in LA County hospitals was 1,243, a 52% increase from two weeks ago when the 7-day average number of COVID-positive patients per day was 820. The hospital admission rate has also increased over the last two weeks. On July 13, the weekly hospital admission rate was 10.5 residents per 100,000 people, a 50% increase from two weeks prior when the rate was seven residents per 100,000 people on June 29.  Of those hospitalized, on average, 42% are hospitalized with COVID-related illness.

Deaths, which typically lag hospitalizations by several weeks are also increasing, with an average of 14 deaths reported per day this past week, compared to an average of eight deaths two weeks ago.

As we align efforts across the county to protect those most vulnerable during this surge, we continue to note the disproportionate impact of COVID among some communities, including those communities with high rates of poverty.

As of July 8, hospitalization rates in the lowest income communities were 71% higher than in the highest income areas, with 20 residents per 100,000 in the lowest income communities hospitalized compared to just 12 residents per 100,000 in the highest income areas. Additionally, compared to one month ago, hospitalization rates in the lowest income areas increased 24%, while there was only a 7% increase in hospitalization rates in the highest income areas.

“I send my deepest sympathies and wishes of peace and comfort to the many families who have lost a loved one from COVID-19,” said Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd, Director of Public Health. “There are important steps that we can all take to reduce risk of transmission of the virus at work, when we’re out and about, and when we’re at home. While the dangers of being hospitalized and dying are much lower than they have been in the past because of vaccinations, boosters, and therapeutics, getting infected with COVID for a significant number of people can be dangerous: many of those infected experience Long-COVID, others require care from medical providers and hospitals, and tragically, a small number of people die every day. Testing and masking are two important strategies that help slow down spread.  Be sure to test if you feel sick, when you have been exposed to someone with COVID, and before gathering with others, especially if there will be individuals gathering who are at higher risk. And wearing a well-fitting, high filtration mask when there is so much transmission of a variant that escapes some of the immunity we have from prior infections and/or vaccines, adds a needed layer of protection.  As we enjoy summer activities and trips, let’s continue to care for each other by taking simple, practical health precautions.”

Today, Public Health reported 12 additional deaths and 4,327 new positive cases. Of the 12 new deaths reported today, one person was between the ages of 30-49, four people were between the ages of 65-79, and seven people were aged 80 years or older. Of the 12 newly reported deaths, 11 had underlying health conditions. To date, the total number of deaths in L.A. County is 32,549.

Public Health has reported a total of 3,230,019 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of L.A. County. Today’s positivity rate is 16.5%.

There are 1,299 people with COVID-19 currently hospitalized. Testing results are available for more than 12,278,834 individuals, with 23% of people testing positive.

A wide range of data and dashboards on COVID-19 from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health are available on the Public Health website at http://www.publichealth.lacounty.gov including:

Always check with trusted sources for the latest accurate information about novel coronavirus:

For more information:

 

Total Cases

Laboratory Confirmed Cases

3,230,019

— Los Angeles County (excl. LB and Pas)

3,055,711

— Long Beach

140,886

— Pasadena

33,422

Deaths

32,549

— Los Angeles County (excl. LB and Pas)

30,838

— Long Beach

1,292

— Pasadena

419

Age Group (Los Angeles County Cases Only-excl LB and Pas)

– 0 to 4

95107

– 5 to 11

264041

– 12 to 17

258663

– 18 to 29

674731

– 30 to 49

981534

– 50 to 64

510927

– 65 to 79

203091

–  over 80

65423

–  Under Investigation

2194

Gender (Los Angeles County Cases Only-excl LB and Pas)

–  Female

1563368

–  Male

1408813

–  Other

1398

–  Under Investigation

82132

Race/Ethnicity (Los Angeles County Cases Only-excl LB and Pas)

–  American Indian/Alaska Native

5680

–  Asian

210859

–  Black

154871

–  Hispanic/Latino

1339247

–  Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander

15597

–  White

412653

–  Other

344469

–  Under Investigation

572335

Hospitalization (Los Angeles County Cases Only-excl LB and Pas)

–  Hospitalized (Ever)***

144,193

Deaths Race/Ethnicity (Los Angeles County Cases Only-excl LB and Pas)

–  American Indian/Alaska Native

72

–  Asian

3870

–  Black

2875

–  Hispanic/Latino

15741

–  Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander

111

–  White

7770

–  Other

313

–  Under Investigation

86